Visit Laguna Beach Visitors Guide 2020 - 38

COURTESY OF VISIT LAGUNA BEACH

OUTDOORS/CONSERVATION

the conservation mindset can
carry forward across generations.

Where Tourism and
Activism Combine

CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT:
THE "KEYHOLE" AT TREASURE ISLAND BEACH; CRYSTAL
WATERS AT SHAW'S COVE; IN
THE SYCAMORE HILLS AREA OF
LAGUNA COAST WILDERNESS
PARK; "THE TELL" BY ARTISTS
JERRY BURCHFIELD AND
MARK CHAMBERLAIN
REFLECTED CONCERNS
ABOUT THE PRESERVATION
OF LAGUNA CANYON.

commitment of volunteers and
the tenacity of local conservation groups. In fact, the area is
often referred to as the "Laguna
Bluebelt"-honoring the work of
Dilley all those years ago-and the
Laguna Bluebelt Coalition hosts
an annual photo contest to reflect
the natural beauty of these waters.
Present-day visitors eager to
explore Laguna's shoreline will
surely see the results of fishing
restrictions put in place in 2012.
The chain reaction, started by protecting common fish and crustaceans, has led to more aquatic life
across the board, with an increase
in marine mammals also being
noted. When these larger animals
fall ill, they're often brought to the
Pacific Marine Mammal Center, a
Laguna Beach nonprofit that has
cared for distressed seals and sea
lions since 1971. Over the decades,
the center has served hundreds
of animals and built a pipeline
of young, eager nature lovers. It
offers a sterling example of how

DESTINATION GUIDE 2020 I VISITLAGUNABEACH.COM

With Laguna Beach's scenic
greenbelt, Instagram-famous
beaches and pristine underwater environments to explore, the
city is growing ever more popular
with tourists worldwide. With this
comes potential for growing pains,
as not all visitors understand the
city's history and commitment
to ecology. Local conservation
groups excel and making their
work known to visitors, but it's
become clear that the greatest
inroads to bridging a potential
communications gap can be
found at hotels and on tours of
local protected areas.
Tide Pool Docents at Main
Beach and Treasure Island help
guests understand the fragility
of these ecosystems. In the canyon, a steady cadence of events
hosted by the Laguna Canyon
Foundation reveals what's so
special about the area and helps
instill a commitment to protecting it. It's also not uncommon
to see local hotels organize trash
cleanups, and many of them have
made promises to the city to help
keep local beaches clean. The
Ranch at Laguna Beach stands
out as a designated "Unique
Lodges of the World" by National
Geographic. In the summer of

2019, it offered a Trans-Catalina
Adventure benefiting the Catalina
Island Conservancy and ended
with a night of pampering back
in Laguna.
Standing by current protections
will also prove crucial for Laguna
Beach's future. New residents and
younger generations will be called
on to honor the commitments of
those who came before them.
"By maintaining Laguna's bluebelt and greenbelt, we are caring
for our physical health by protecting air quality, water purity and the
unadulterated biology of natural
resources," MacGillivray says.
"More than that, we are tending to
our children's futures by defending their right to benefit from
nature in the same ways that we
have. It's not only about protecting habitats and movement corridors for wildlife, but also about
protecting a certain quality of life
for the residents of Laguna."
From the canyons to the oceans
and everywhere in between, the
future looks green for Laguna
Beach. It's the result of hard work by
scores of unsung heroes, local nonprofits and eager visitors. Moreover,
this mission of conservation is carried on by anyone who appreciates
the city's natural wonders. It's a
shared vision that locals and guests
alike are joined together in, and one
that younger generations are eager
to carry forward.

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Visit Laguna Beach Visitors Guide 2020

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